Knicks' links: Carmelo Anthony is their best player, but Kenyon Martin gives them their best value

The Knicks (42-26) have seemingly righted the ship that was sinking after their horrid 1-4 West Coast trip last week, as they've now run off four-straight wins.

It helps when their best player returns after missing four straight games. But more than Carmelo Anthony lighting up the scoreboard, the Knicks’ success could also be directly tied to the player who’s been performing on a string of 10-day contracts.

But Kenyon Martin is no ordinary 10-day contract player, because as a former No. 1 overall pick, he certainly has the pedigree to back up his play. But the amazing thing about Martin’s resurgence is that he endured roughly nine months of inactivity, yet has looked like his old high-energy, rim-rattling self in just a matter of weeks.

Martin’s manic and aggressive approach to the game has fully complemented Anthony’s smooth and calculated skill set, which shouldn’t be news to NBA fans considering the two were teammates in Denver for many years.

“When you play with each other six and a half years you just don’t lose it,” Martin said, as quoted by Tim Smith of the New York Daily News. “It’s in a different environment, a different setting, but still knowing his game and him knowing me, it’s easy.”

Martin must be a friend of Doc’s from the “Back to the Future” movie series, because the hulking power forward is looking like the same guy who once terrorized the paint as a member of the old New Jersey Nets.

Added Smith:

"They must have installed a time machine in Kenyon Martin’s locker, because the 35-year-old forward rolled the clock back against the Raptors at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Martin was the snarling, screaming, chest-thumping menace who starred for the Nets a decade ago. When he threw down a dunk on a Carmelo Anthony miss in the second quarter, he stuck his chest out and let out a roar to the crowd. There was a sequence toward the end of the second quarter when Martin emphatically blocked a shot by Raptors guard John Lucas III at one end and raced down the court to take a pass from Anthony for a layup. He got fouled on the play. And as he was preparing to shoot his free throw, a chant of “Kenyon Martin! Kenyon Martin!” rose from the Garden crowd."

"Kidd is now a reserve and the Knicks are trying to manage his minutes before a playoff run. But even in a limited role, he has made a huge impact on a team that lacked veteran leadership for so long. He is second in the NBA's career list behind John Stockton in assists and steals, third in 3-pointers made, and fourth in minutes played. He won a title in Dallas, resurrected a franchise in New Jersey, and won two Olympic gold medals during an undefeated international career at the senior level. But even with all those accomplishments, Kidd's intelligence often comes up first among those who marvel at his ability to keep playing point guard in the NBA at his age."

"He's brilliant. His mind is brilliant," Mahoney quoted Tyson Chandler saying recently. "Hopefully we can freeze it, or something like that. Leave it for the next generation."

In other Knicks’ news:

• NJ.com’s Alex Raskin said Martin’s role has been a gradual climb since signing his first 10-day contract: “Martin didn’t see much time during his first 10-day contract with the Knicks, but beginning with the March 7 loss to the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder, Martin has been a major contributor, particularly in the wake of Tyson Chandler’s bulging disc injury. In his last nine appearances coming into Saturday, Martin averaged 8.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. The problem was that he’s averaged 4.1 fouls in 24.6 minutes per game over that time, but wasn’t as much of an issue over the last two games as he committed just five fouls. While the offense is nice plus for Martin, he’s on the floor for another reason: Defensive energy.”

• Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com noted how testy things got in last night’s win over the Raptors between former teammates Carmelo Anthony and Landry Fields: “Apparently, there's no love lost between Anthony and former Knick Landry Fields. … Fields put a shoulder in Anthony's chest on a drive more than 25 feet from the basket early in the period. After looking for a call on the play, Melo shoved Fields and received a flagrant foul. … After the game, both players insisted there was no bad blood behind their dust-up in the third quarter on Saturday, but their actions on the court told a different story. … It's worth noting that Fields wasn't the same player as a Knick after Anthony came to town. He had a fantastic run as a rookie before the trade, but lost confidence after Melo's arrival.”